Une Denière Danse (One Last Dance)
by 13.Starlight-Mist
Summary: After the war, everyone returns to Hogwarts to retake their missed year, with an additional Dance class. Swept up this class of swirling fabric, Hermione and Draco find themselves as partners and slowly become friends. However, when Draco's face is disfigured in a freak Potions accident, it is up to Hermione to keep Draco on his feet, both literally and figuratively. [Dramione]
1. Prologue

**Une Deniére Danse (One Last Dance)  
Disclaimer: **My name is Brigitta, not J. K. Rowling, so I can't claim any rights to the Harry Potter series.

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 **Published On:** October 5, 2015

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 **This is a request from Insane-Bookworm-4ever (5512249) based off of a real-life event for a friend at school:**

\- minimal hate/animosity between houses.  
\- dances include the salsa and tango  
\- when partnering, Hermione gives Draco the stink-eye  
\- after the accident, Draco dictates his papers to Hermione  
\- they eventually pick up dancing again  
\- Draco is trying to escape his overbearing parents  
\- Anne can't dance, so she sings for them  
\- 7th Year, Post-War, Third-Person

XxxX

 ** _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
The Ministry of Magic  
_** _August 15, 1999_

Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Parvati Patil, Neville Longbottom:  
Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Meghan Jones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan:  
Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Luna Lovegood, Padma Patil, Drew Craft, Anne Silver:  
Millicent Bulstrode, Theodore Nott, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini:

Thank you for filling out the Hogwarts Registration Forms and Class Wish-Lists. This year, you'll be under the supervision of:  
\- Headmistress Minerva McGonagall  
\- Ginny Weasley and Drew Craft  
\- Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy  
Your timetables will be handed out on the first day of school. Dance equipment will be provided, but materials for any other classes are your responsibility.


	2. A Brand New Page (I)

**Une Deniére Danse (One Last Dance)  
Disclaimer: **My name is Brigitta, not J. K. Rowling, so I can't claim any rights to the Harry Potter series.

* * *

Hello, Readers!

Four of the characters you will meet in this chapter (Celine Ren, Derek Donovan, Drew Craft, Jacob Crowley, and Lucy Jones) are my creation and belong to me, and a fifth (Anne Silver) is my portrayal of Insane-Bookworm-4ever (ID: 5512249) with a false last name for privacy. Anne is a wonderful writer and writes beautifully, whether Harry/Ginny or James/Lily.

Please Enjoy and Review,  
Starlight-Mist on October 5, 2015

 **Chapter I - A Brand New Page (I)  
** _What you are seeing is a different side of me:  
The black to my white.  
It's something you never thought you'd see:  
The day to my night._

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 **September 1, 1999**

"I feel the sun, I see many people, and smell a lot of sweat...but there is still no sign of Hermione," Ron commented as he impatiently scanned the crowd.

"Just relax, Ron! Unless Hermione has turned into a cat again, I promise that she'll be here," Harry answered, sighing as Ron and Ginny continued searching for Hermione.

The two siblings had been at it for almost an hour, despite his protests that they were getting weird looks and that standing on benches was disgusting. However, some part of Harry wanted to join them in the hunt for the last member of the Golden Trio.

Just as Harry was about to give in and join the dark side, Ginny located Hermione and began jumping up and down to attract her attention. Moments later, a joyous shout was heard from across Platform 9 ¾ as Hermione spotted them and began wading through a sea of parents, children, and many arms and legs. Finally, the second Head Girl squeezed through the final stretch, throwing herself at her friends and tackling them to the ground with a monster hug, which was returned with the same vigor - if not a little more.

"Hey, Harry...something terrible has happened! Our little 'Mione-Moo is all grown-up!" Ron teased, affectionately ruffling her hair. Although Hermione and Ron had dated for a while after the war, the two eventually came to the conclusion that they were better off as friends and broke up; however, since it had been a mutual breakup, the two were still close friends.

"Oh, Ron! I can't stay a baby forever!" Hermione laughed as she broke out of Ron's grip, her eyes twinkling as she smoothed down her messy hair.

"Well, Ron...I suppose we could put her in an age-proof cage, but then we would have to listen to her school work rants," Harry mused; Ron chuckled when Hermione scowled and shot The-Boy-Who-Seemed-To-Have-Innumerable-Lives an annoyed look.

"So, did anything interesting happen while I was away?" she questioned, straightening her skirt as she took a seat on the bench.

"Well, we played a lot of quidditch, and even ran int Pansy Parkinson when Harry took us on a tour through Muggle London, but the rest of of the summer was pretty bland," Harry explained. "However, on the bright side, Ginny and I resumed our relationship."

Ron rolled his eyes and muttered, "And that meant that you had to snog my _sister_ every time that I looked over at you?"

"Sorry, Ron, but since the war wrecked their relationship, it is only fair for the two of them to get back together, now that it is over," Hermione replied.

"Hermione! How could you side with them?" Ron sputtered, his face getting redder and redder as Hermione laughed at his distress.

"Anyways, Hermione, how was your summer? Did you find your parents?" Ginny asked, turning to Hermione with a look that screamed that she would extract every last juicy bit of summer gossip.

"It was a moderate summer, and I did indeed find my parents. They were definitely angry with me after I restored their memories," Hermione explained, "but they eventually came to understand why I did what I did. Additionally, I ran into the guy that I used to take dancing lessons with."

"A boy! This calls for details, Hermione!" Ginny shrieked, her eyes taking on an excited gleam as she latched onto Hermione's shoulders and began shaking them.

"I suppose that is our cue to leave and let the girls catch up. Ready for a game of Exploding Snap, Ron?" Harry asked as the two boys got up and walked away.

"No holding back, now that they're gone," Ginny ordered.

"Why so serious, Ginny? Anyways, the guy I used to dance with is named Derek. Derek Donovan. We were neighbors ever since I turned five and he moved into the house next to us. He was my first friend outside of school."

\- _"Hello, Hermione. Can you play outside today?" a young boy with unruly brown hair greeted as Hermione opened the front door and poked her head out of the door.  
_ \- " _Mum?" Hermione shouted, turning away from the door, "Can I play with Derek?"  
_ - _"As long as you come back in time for lunch!" Heather Granger yelled back to her daughter._

"Our parents signed us up for dance classes when we turned seven; we did everything together by that point. We caught frogs and bugs together, told stories together, rode bikes together, read books together, made mud pies together, used the swings together, and even got in trouble together."

\- " _Can I borrow the shovel?" Hermione asked Derek as she held back a wall of dirt.  
_ \- " _Here," Derek answered, tossing the shovel her way.  
\- The two friends were currently in their special place, which was located in the woods behind Derek's house. It was a quiet sort of place with many trees and dead leaves, wildflowers, a little stream named Merle Brooke, and a young apple tree that they had named Morgan Le Fay after Hermione's favorite character.  
_\- " _Are you taking dance classes, Hermione?" Derek asked as he helped Hermione replant some wildflowers that she'd found, patting the dirt down around their roots and watering them with the water from the brook.  
_ \- " _Yep. I'm taking tango, mambo, and ballroom dancing with Ms. Lucy Jones," Hermione replied.  
_ \- " _Good," Derek grinned, "because I'm taking the same classes that you are."  
_ \- " _Do you think Ms. Lucy will let us be partners?" Hermione asked hopefully.  
_ - _"I don't know," Derek replied as he wiped his hands off on his dirtied pants, "but I sure hope so."_

"When our dance classes started, Derek and I partnered up for everything, whether it was the actual dancing or just the stretching. We entered our first dance competition when we were nine."

 _\- "How do you think we'll do?" Hermione asked nervously, fidgeting with the skirt of her dress.  
\- "It doesn't matter, as long as we have fun. Just let the judges do their thing," Derek answered as he leaned back in his chair.  
\- The mention of judges did nothing to calm Hermione down.  
_\- " _How are you two holding up?" a soft voice asked from behind them.  
\- Derek answered with a simple shrug while Hermione nervously babbled on and on about all the things that could go wrong until Ms. Lucy stopped her.  
\- "You should stop worrying, Hermione. Everything will be just fine," Ms. Lucy soothed as she fixed Hermione's hair clip. "Just remember to have fun."_

"Ms. Lucy was an amazing teacher, and that night, Derek and I brought home first-place medals. However, two years and six competitions later, everything changed. You see, at the time of our seventh competition, Ms. Lucy was pregnant with twins. Right after the competition ended, she went into labor and didn't make it. Neither of us found out until the next day."

\- " _You're lying!" Hermione accused as tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face. "Ms. Lucy was perfectly fine yesterday! YOU'RE LYING!"  
_ \- " _Hermione, sweets, I'm really sorry," Heather Granger said, trying to wrap her arms around her baby girl and shelter her from the cruelty of the world. Sobbing, Hermione tore herself free from her mother's arms and ran out the front door, slamming right into Derek, who was also crying.  
_ \- " _Why? Why Ms. Lucy?" Hermione sobbed. "Why?"_

"Ms. Lucy's death was only the beginning in a chain of horrible events, which ended with Derek's parents losing their jobs and needing to move to Australia."

\- " _What?" Hermione cried out in shock as she slammed her water bottle into the ground. "What do you mean you're moving to Australia?"  
\- "I'm sorry, Hermione," Derek said in a pained voice as he tried to console the devastated girl.  
_\- " _Why is everyone leaving me?" Hermione finally asked. "It's like I'm the character of some author who's trying to write out all the excess characters."  
_ \- " _Maybe you are, and if so, I hate that author for using the backspace button on me. Very cruel."  
_ \- " _Derek, the backspace button is a very important part in every author's life. Imagine reading a story where the author never used the backspace button."  
_ \- " _Aaand..." Derek projected, imitating a game show host, "she's back to normal, lecturing me again. C'mon, Hermione. Let's dance."_

"Derek left on September 1st that year, the same day that I left for my first year at Hogwarts; we fell out of contact sometime after second year, so it was completely a coincident when we met up this summer, but I really am glad that we did."

 _\- As Hermione was walking through the busy streets in Australia, looking into the shop windows for anything interesting, her elbow got caught on something.  
_ \- " _Oh Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed, kneeling down next to the muscular man whose groceries she had caused to drop, "I'm so sorry."  
_ \- " _It's okay; I wasn't looking where I was going," the man answered as he reached for a stray tomato, his hair falling forward and revealing a familiar pair of eyes.  
\- Hermione gasped in recognition, _" _Derek? Derek Donovan?"  
\- The man looked up, "Hermione!"  
_\- " _Merlin! It's so good to see you!" Hermione shrieked, throwing her arms around her long-lost dance partner, his dropped and scattered groceries forgotten.  
_ \- " _It's been what? Eight years?" Derek laughed as he stuffed groceries back into his bag.  
_ \- " _You've picked up an Australian accent," Hermione noted, handing him a carton of milk.  
_ - _"I suppose you don't live here," Derek said, shaking his head. "The Australian accent here really gets to you after a while. So, how have you been?"  
_ \- " _You first," Hermione ordered, crossing her arms as her first friend packed the last of his groceries.  
_ \- " _Still the same Miss Bossy Pants, I see," Derek said dryly as they sat down on a bench. "Life here has been good to me...no, scratch that...life has been absolutely amazing here. Mum and Dad are still working and everything has been just fine. We've just recently bought this gigantic house that Mum insisted be painted a neon green. You should come and see it at some point."  
\- Hermione laughed, imagining the bubbly family living in an alien-green house.  
_\- " _Anyways, what to tell? Well, I joined a small dance class after a few years, and eventually worked up the courage to ask my dance partner to be my girlfriend; her name's Celine Ren and I think you would really like her. We even started a community garden together! Other than that, I just finished high school a few weeks back and am going to a local college. How about you?"  
_ \- " _Ugh. I've had a crazy past seven years," Hermione began with a sigh. "Like I mentioned in one of the few letters we exchanged after you moved, I am indeed a witch; a good-to-honest, spell-casting, wand-wielding, and occasionally broom-flying witch."  
\- Derek laughed, but stopped upon seeing Hermione's serious face. _" _Wait...really? I thought you were joking back then. Are you still joking or are you for real?"  
\- "Not joking," Hermione answered. "I would totally show you what I can do, but there are rules that forbid me to do so. Anyways, are you going to believe me, or not?"  
\- "Although I have no proof, you are my first friend...I think I can give you the benefit of the doubt," Derek shrugged before leaning back in his chair._

"With that statement, the entire story of my last seven magical years came tumbling out. It felt absolutely wonderful to tell someone about everything that had happened."

\- _"You know," Derek said slowly after Hermione stopped talking, "I definitely believe you now, and am quite sad I missed out on all those adventures. Now, as much as I would love to continue talking, I'm afraid that the eggs I bought are going to rot in this heat, so here is my contact info. I expect to see owls tapping on my window at least twice every month. Now, have fun at school, and please...try not to get killed this year."  
\- Hermione laughed, and pulled Derek into a hug as she whispered, "I'll try my best to stay alive."  
\- "Really though," Derek stated, shaking his head. "Doesn't Hogwarts ever show you those cheesy Public Service Announcements about being safe? Don't talk to weird snake dudes? Don't get tortured by insane witches named Bellatrix? Don't sneak out at night?"  
\- Hermione laughed, and with one last parting hug and an assurance to keep in contact, the two friends parted._

"There you have it," Hermione finished, exhaling loudly as she slumped back against the bench and yawned.

"And here I was expecting a summer romance," Ginny sighed, shaking her head as the Hogwarts Express blew the boarding whistle and students rushed for the doors. Hermione elbowed her friend, then boarded the train, sliding past students and following Ginny to the compartment that the four friends had chosen.

"Good to see you, again," Ron stated when the girls finally slipped through the door and took their seats; to his left was a pile of candy and to his right was an even larger pile of candy wrappers.

"Harry! I told you not to let Ron eat all the chocolates!" Ginny scolded her boyfriend; Harry grinned sheepishly, wiped away a chocolate smear, then pulled Ginny down for a kiss.

"You see what I mean about constant snogging?" Ron asked, turning to his ex-girlfriend.

"Yeah...I wonder how long it's going to take for them to stop snogging ," Hermione replied.

"Approximately two minutes and fifty eight seconds...I was so bored this summer I counted."

A few hours and many snogs later, the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station.

"I suppose that that's our cue to start rounding up the little ones," Ginny chirped, detaching her lips from Harry's and latching onto Hermione's wrist, dragging them out of the compartment as the two boys frantically scrambled for their luggage.

"First years this way, please!" Hermione and Ginny called, waving their arms. "All first years this way, please!"

"Second years through eighth years," Draco and Drew called from the other end of the train. "All second through eight years this way!"

Once the boys had lead the older students away towards the carriages, Hermione and Ginny escorted the first years over to where Hagrid was waiting with his trusty pink umbrella.

"Oh my gosh!" Ginny squealed when she and Hermione joined the two Head Boys. "The first years are so cute! I remember when I was like that, marveling at the sheer size of Hogwarts. In fact, Hogwarts still amazes me, every year! I suppose that you are Drew Craft...the transfer from Durmstrang? My name is Ginny Weasley and this here is Hermione. I'm sure that you have already met Draco. Now that we all know each other, let's have an amazing year together!"

Drew just nodded in agreement, not knowing where to start with the energetic red-head, and as the carriage lurched forward, Hermione and Draco made eye contact.

"Um...how is your arm doing?" Draco asked, gesturing to his head towards Hermione's carved arm.

Surprised that Draco was trying to make small talk with her, it took Hermione a few seconds to reply, "St. Mungo's did an amazing job, but the scar is never going to go away."

"Ah. I'm sorry about my aunt...she's a little batty."

Sensing a dangerous tension joining them in the carriage, Ginny quickly changed the topic to how the children would be handled during the Sorting Ceremony and after the first dinner. Five minutes later, a plan had been cobbled together, and the four Heads ran off to their respective stations.

As Hermione led the children through the castle, a soft smile graced her lips at the amazed looks on each of the new students' faces; finally, they arrived in Great Hall.

"Please listen up!" Hermione called, clapping her hands together to get all the first years' attention. "You all are about to go through something called the Sorting Ceremony, which is where you will be sorted into one of the four houses. Now, we have to be very quiet, because the Sorting Hat is going to tell you about the four houses."

 _My goodness, my goodness,  
All the first years are here!  
Let's get sorted and get started,  
On a wonderful year!_

 _Will you be Gryffindor,  
For the brave and the bold -  
Welcoming all,  
Whether the young or the old?_

 _Or maybe their rivals -  
The Slytherin Snakes.  
Pure and conniving?  
That's all that it takes!_

 _Perhaps witty Ravenclaw  
Will suit you much better?  
Writing and working  
And shaping each letter?_

 _Huffly-puffly Hufflepuff  
Is the last of the four -  
Loyal and patient,  
You need anything more?_

 _All the students around you,  
Have tried me right on -  
Around their wee heads,  
I've been seated upon!_

 _So why do you worry  
And why do you fear?  
Just put me right on,  
And my voice you will hear!_

 _Don't worry...I promise not to place you in a house you won't like...Potter can attest to that..._

All heads swiveled to look over at Harry, who ducked his head and pretended to be interested in his empty dinner plate, although his bright red ears did nothing to hide themselves. Thankfully, Headmistress McGonagall cleared her throat and began the ceremony. The next half-hour consisted of many loud cheers as each house gained new students, and finally, the first dinner began.

"I'm so glad that Hogwarts is still up and running, and with so many students!" Hermione chirped happily as she helped herself to some rolls.

"Of course you are, Hermione!" Ginny laughed, slinging an arm around the older girl's shoulders. "Every year has come with some sort of adventure...crazy professors, tournaments, weird transformations, time-turning, and lots of fighting."

"Hush up about the transformation part," Hermione hissed, her cheeks coloring as she remembered her brief time as a cat.

"Aw, come on, Hermione!" Ron laughed, pausing his mission to consume the entire table to contribute a story. "We all know that you aren't the only one who has embarrassing memories. Remember the time that I went all goo-goo over Romilda Vane? Harry still hasn't stopped teasing me about that."

"Serves you right for eating so much," Harry laughed, to which Ron responded, "Well, at least I'm not the one who caught the snitch in his mouth and nearly swallowed it!"

After all the food had vanished, Hermione, Draco, Ginny, and Drew met at the front of the hall.

"Students of Hogwarts!" Hermione announced. "It is now time to head back to your dorms, where you will receive a password. Please do your best to remember this password! I will be taking the Hufflepuffs, Draco the Slytherins, Ginny the Gryffindors, and Drew the Ravenclaws. Sweet dreams and welcome to the start of a wonderful year!"

 **XxxX**

"I never thought that getting the students back to their dorms could be so hard...and why are there so many stairs in this tower?" Ginny groaned as she and Drew entered Heads' common room, both looking a little worse for the wear.

"You know, I'm starting to pity sheepdogs," Drew groaned, flopping down on a very conveniently-placed couch.

The Head Dorm was very large and spacious, complete with a roaring fire, four armchairs, two couches, a coffee table, and a kitchenette on both sides of the fireplace. Furthermore, there were two large staircases right next to each kitchenette, a grand staircase leading up to the second floor. According to Hermione, the second floor housed the bedrooms and the bathroom.

"Sadly, there is only one bathroom and one shower in the bathroom, so we're going to have to share," Draco picked up. "Now, that being said, can we all try to keep the shower free of hair and excessive scented shampoos; sink clean of spittle and toothpaste; and towels off of the floor?"

"How about we all just try and keep the dorms as clean as possible?" Drew suggested, sitting up. "Now, putting that behind us, which side is the boys side and which is the girls? Hermione said that both rooms are identical, so how do we chose?"

"Girls rooms on the right," Ginny replied, eyeing the closer rooms before turning to Hermione and declaring, "First one upstairs gets the first shower!"

Hermione shrieked as Ginny took off, speeding up the stairs, just as they had done so many times at the Burrow; the boys watched in amusement as Ginny grinned down at Hermione from her lofty perch at the top of the staircase.

"No fair, Ginny! You started before me," Hermione whined when she reached the top of the staircase.

"Too bad for you!" the red-haired Head replied. "Besides, you're not the last one up..."

It took a few seconds for the statement to sink in, but Draco and Drew were soon racing up the stairs, fiercely battling for the third shower as Hermione and Ginny entered their room.

"What a beautiful room," Hermione sighed, peacefully taking in the pale green walls. On either side of the room was a bed, a chest of drawers, a trunk that doubled as a desk, a small closet, and a bedside stand. On the side of the bed where a wall would have been, large windows had been installed, showing a beautiful vista of the night sky and Black Lake.

"Not for long," Ginny giggled before pouncing on the left bed, wrinkling the sheets.

"Well, Ginny, you should go take your shower," the brainy brunette stated, pulling out her beaded bag and flicking her wand at it, causing Ginny to watch in amazement as her clothes folded themselves and flew into her drawers, and books lined themselves up on her desk.

"You _need_ to teach me that one at some point," Ginny grinned before turning away.

Later that night, Hermione lay in bed, staring out the window; outside, the stars twinkled and the moon winked on the surface of the lake. For a second, Hermione even thought that she had seen the Giant Squid wave a tentacle at the castle, but she couldn't be sure.

 _This is going to be an interesting year._

With a tired yawn, Hermione closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.


	3. A Brand New Page (II)

**Une Deniére Danse (One Last Dance)  
Disclaimer: **My name is Brigitta, not J. K. Rowling, so I can't claim any rights to the Harry Potter series.

* * *

Hello, Readers!

Une Deniére Danse is currently at 9 favorites, 20 follows, 5 review, and 0 C2's. Putting that aside, all the songs mentioned or used in this chapter are real songs and do not belong to me.

Please Enjoy and Review,  
Starlight-Mist on October 31, 2015 (updated 6/24/2016)

 **Chapter II - A Brand New Page (II) _  
_** _In this world,  
It's always amazing to see.  
That there is someone out there,  
So unlike me._

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 **Monday, September 6th, 1999**

"I never thought that I would say this, but bloody hell is it good to be back at Hogwarts!" Ron yawned, stretching his arms high above his head.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your language, Mister Weasley," Snape barked, sweeping into the room in a flurry of black and scowls, nearly causing Hermione to grin; there were just some things that would never change about Hogwarts. For one, Snape would always be scowling, Ron would always eat mountains of food, Filch and Mrs. Norris would always eye them with suspicion, and the Fat Lady would always be home to her, even if she was in a different dorm.

"I swear, how does he double-cross He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named and still survive?" Ginny wondered, shaking her head as she set up her potions materials.

"Be careful, Ginny," Harry warned, "he has ears everywhere...like a bat."

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Potter."

"Like I said."

The rest of the day flew by so fast that it was hard to believe, and at the end of dinner, Professor McGonagall stood up and cast a _Sonorus_ upon herself, announcing, "As many of you know, we have added a mandatory new class to our curriculum this year, Dance Classes."

There was a mixed response to her announcement, ranging from loud cheers to unhappy groans.

"Students will be learning either salsa or tango, and all students are expected to make an appearance at a performance for your parents. If a student wishes not to dance, they will work with our dance instructor to find another way to help out. First and Second years have Dance classes on Monday and Friday first period. Third and Fourth years have Dance classes on Monday and Friday second period. Fifth and Sixth years have Dance classes on Tuesday and Thursday first period. Seventh and Eighth years have Dance classes on Tuesday and Thursday second period. Dance classes start tomorrow. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your evening."

The hall instantly burst into chatter.

"I can't wait until tomorrow! I wonder how we are going to be partnered!" Ginny squealed, clapping her hands together in excitement, much like the younger students.

"How about we worry about going back to the dorms before who we are getting partnered with," Hermione suggested, as she slid off of the bench and headed out the doors of the Great Hall, Ginny following close behind, still chattering about who she wanted to be partnered with.

"Oh, stop it, Ginny...we all know that you want to be partnered with Harry," Hermione sighed as climbed the stairs to their dorms.

"Just leave me alone, Hermione!" Ginny whined as they entered the dorms.

"It sure took you guys a long time to get here," Draco commented from where he was sprawled out on the couch, one leg dangling off the edge and both hands folded behind his head. "Although we only start class tomorrow, the Headmistress wants us to pick a date for the dance performance. The only requirements she has is a sneak peek sometime before the end of the year."

"I think that we should have the sneak peek on December 17, which is the date of the Winter Ball, because it would be easier than having two different events," Hermione stated logically.

"It might take a little extra work to coordinate both events for the same day, but it would work," Drew answered, shaking his head in agreement. "I then would like to propose that we have the performance on April 22 next year, which should be a Saturday. That way, we have a month to prepare for the next big event, graduation."

"Makes sense to me," Draco nodded, scribbling the dates down before turning to Ginny. "Anything you want to add, Weaslette?"

"Whatever you guys said works, so I am calling the decision unanimous," Ginny nodded.

"In that case, meeting adjourned," Drew announced; that being said, the four Heads parted and went to their rooms, thankful that they weren't patrolling that night.

"I wonder who my dance partner is going to be. Do you think Ron will ask me?"

Ginny scoffed, "I highly doubt it."

"Well," Hermione said thoughtfully, "I did tell him that next time there was a dance, he should work up the guts to ask me, not as a last resort."

"And you expect him to remember that?" the red-head asked skeptically.

Hermione sighed; it was evidently not worth trying to get support from the red-haired girl, so she contented herself with flopping into her bed. Although she was more than happy to be back in Hogwarts, the brunette couldn't help but wonder what her life would have been like if she wasn't a witch. Would she still be dancing with Derek? Would she still have all the muscle that came with dancing? Would she be more concerned with beauty? What would she be like?

Resting her chin on her crossed arms, she gazed out the window at the sky; against the dark and cloudless night sky, the stars looked like little pinpoints of light shining down from something far away, like little windows from Heaven.

"Look, Ginny, a shooting star," Hermione said, tracing the path of the meteor as it flew across the sky.

"Make a wish, and make it good," Ginny said encouragingly as she brushed her hair out and braided it.

 _I wish that my dance partner is someone who I can love, and someone who will love me._

 **Tuesday, September 7th, 1999**

"Hello everyone! Welcome to The Class of Ultimate Awesomeness! My name is Jacob Totally-Awesome Crowley and I will be your salsa and tango instructor this year! Now, because it takes two to tango, you all must be concerned about partnering. But no need to fear! I am giving all of you the choice of who you are partnering with! Good deal, yeah-yeah?"

"I like this guy already," Ginny whispered, elbowing Hermione, "He's got character!"

"Alright, since you all are so quiet, we should probably get started. I am giving you two minutes to partner up, minus time to sort out any cat fights, which I am hoping to avoid, of course," Jacob announced, waggling his eyebrows. "Now then, any questions?"

" _Monsieur_ , I'm allergic to dancing, so do you think I could sing instead?" a tall brunette at the back of the room asked, stepping forward to address him.

"Yeah-yeah. Is there anyone else who wishes to sit out of the language of legs and counting beats?" the energetic dance teacher asked, to which Drew raised his hand. "Alright then, you two, please see me after I sort out the dancers. What are your names?"

"Anne Silver," the girl introduced.

"Drew Craft," the young man answered,.

"Now that we know who wants to dance and who doesn't want to dance, why don't we pair up? Also, just a warning, but I'm not very good with names..."

A few chuckles came from around the room as people began moving around and pairing up.

Hermione looked around the room and began making her way over to Ron, but noticing a hopeful Pansy Parkinson approaching him, decided to let her partner with him; after all, Pansy seemed to be one of the only Slytherins that Ron had been able to talk to without getting agitated. However, that left her with a small dilemma...she didn't have a partner.

"Partner with me?" an angelic voice came from behind her.

Hermione turned around, her face shining with hopeful rays of light, but when she realized that it had been Draco who had asked, her face immediately darkened and took on an expression that suggested horrible things...such as the possibility that she would knock him out and then tell Jacob that he fainted out of happiness.

"Whoa, Granger..." Draco remarked, taking a step back and eyeing her warily as if he expected her to pull out her wand and hex him.

"What am I, a horse?" Hermione asked.

"One minute!" Jacob called. "One minute left!"

Taking a quick look around, Hermione noted that almost everyone else had already partnered up.

"Granger, yes or no?" Draco asked, calling her attention back to him. "You are almost out of time, and I am sure that you would like to avoid Neville and his clumsy feet...almost as much as I want to avoid Loony Lovegood..."

Biting her lip, Hermione nodded in agreement.

Just mere seconds later, Jacob went around the room, marking down the partners and partnering up the few remaining students.

"Alright, now that partners are settled, you are going to spend this period learning more about your partner. By the end of this period, you should have at least twenty facts about your partner. Any pair who gets over forty facts receives five points per person. Go!"

"Alright, Granger," Draco said as they followed everyone else, sitting down side-by-side, leaning against the wall.

"My name is Hermione, you know," the female Head announced as Draco pulled out a piece of paper and quill.

"Do you think that Jacob is really going to take that as a fact?" the blonde asked skeptically, poking her on the nose with his quill.

"I didn't mean that as a fact, Malfoy," Hermione explained, twitching her nose. "You called me Granger. My name is Hermione."

"In that case, you should call me Draco," Draco answered, a wry smile on his face. "As for our facts, my favorite color is emerald green, my favorite candy is milk chocolate, and my favorite animal is the snake. I'm Slytherin to the very core."

"In that case, this will be a surprise: I like green, lemon drops, and cats."

"I see that the golden princess is corrupt. Never would have seen it coming. As for me? I have naturally blonde hair, my biggest pet peeve is when someone interrupts me, and I have taken dancing lessons before. You?"

"My hair is naturally frizzy, my biggest pet peeve is when someone interrupts me when I'me studying, as Harry and Ron both know, and I have taken dancing lessons too."

"You dance?" Draco asked as his quill slowly moved across the paper.

"Did," Hermione corrected. "I haven't danced in over seven years; I have been pretty caught up with all my adventures with Harry and Ron."

"What types of dance did you take?"

"I started dancing at age seven, and took tango, mambo, and ballroom," the young witch replied.

"Interesting. Well, I have taken ballroom, mambo, and salsa. Ballroom was my parents' insistence; I liked mambo the best."

"I agree. Mambo is a whole lot of fun."

Draco shot her a smile, then continued with the facts, "I have an owl named Zeke-Bus, can play the piano, dislike Arithmancy, and love Potions."

"I have a cat named Crookshanks, who I believe to be part-Kneazle, am not musical, hate Divination with a fiery passion, and love DADA."

"I have never worn low cut socks before, cleaned the Manor over the summer, like to draw, and hate to cook; the last time I tried, I attempted to make pasta, but forgot to turn on the stove."

"What's with the socks?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"My dad forbid wearing them, along with eating with my left hand, which is my preferred eating hand, not making my bed, sliding staircase railings," Draco listed, obviously displeased with all the things that he wasn't allowed to do.

"I can't empathize with the socks, the eating, or bed making, but I _can_ with the staircase sliding. I've always wanted to do it."

"You too, huh?" Draco stated, letting out a puff of air and blowing his hair off of his forehead.

"We have patrol together tonight, right?" Hermione asked, her eyes lighting up and taking on an excited gleam. "Wanna do it? Go to the Grand Staircase and slide down the railings? I'll cast a cushion for you if you fall!"

Draco stared at her in disbelief, then snorted, "you are much more Slytherin than I ever gave you credit for...yes. Let's do it."

Hermione grinned, then resumed matching Draco's facts; "I have never worn a bandana before. I restored my parents' memories and ran into my old dance partner over the summer, like to read, and absolutely despise cleaning."

The blonde man held his hand up, "Rewind to the part about restoring your parents' memories."

"I erased their memories and sent them to Australia so that they would be safe during the war," the brainy witch answered, fidgeting with her half-Windsor. Seeing that his dance partner was uncomfortable with further discussion, Draco changed the topic.

"My favorite item as a child was a brown teddy bear named Fickle, my favorite birthday was my eleventh because I was going to Hogwarts, my most embarrassing moment was being turned into a ferret, and my favorite memory was receiving my first broom. Your turn now."

"My favorite item was a little ballerina music box, my favorite birthday was my seventh because I received a pair of dancing shoes, my most embarrassing memory is Polyjuicing into a cat, which has come with some interesting side effects, and my favorite memory is winning my first dance competition."

"Last two facts before we reach the minimum. I could have been named Orion Malfoy, and my favorite meal would be chicken soup, buttered bread, mashed potatoes, and an apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream for desert," Draco finished, scribbling down the last few facts.

"Orion Malfoy would have been a very dashing name. I, on the other hand, could have been named Bethesda, or Helen. My favorite meal would be ribs, white rice, carrots and peas, and flan for dessert, although your meal sounds quite amazing. Should we go for the forty facts?" Hermione queried.

"The overachiever is really asking?"

"Yeah, okay. My favorite..."

Later that night, the two Head students met up for patrol, almost rushing through their rounds as danger tempted them; the staircase railings almost glistened, calling to them to slide down, but they resisted the urge, for they knew that sliding down the Grand Staircase would be so much sweeter.

"I haven't felt this anxious in a long time," Hermione whispered, her heart racing with adrenaline. "I mean, it really isn't that bad...but the thought that my parents _forbid_ it...you know...it just makes the wait agonizing."

Draco chuckled, "I know what you mean. Honestly, I can't wait either."

Finally, they finished their rounds and rushed to the Grand Staircase.

"Do you want to go first?" Draco asked, gesturing to the magnificent staircase; Hermione nodded, her eyes bright as she perched on the handrail.

"Even if I've never done this, I know you're going fall off if you slide down side-saddle," the blonde laughed, taking off his cloak and placing it on the handrail, gesturing for her to sit on it. Hermione eyed his cloak for a moment before telling him to look away as she gripped the railing, threw her leg over it, and then adjusted her school skirt.

"Ready?" Draco asked.

"Totally," Hermione nodded before loosening her grip on the railing.

As Hermione flew past the stairs, Draco followed her, jumping landings to keep up with the laughing Head Girl. However, much to his horror, his cloak provided no support, and Hermione tipped to the right and fell off of the railing.

 _"Arresto Momentum!"_ he yelled, slowing her fall until she settled on the cold stone floor; as he rushed down the last few steps to where she lay, Hermione remained prone on the ground, staring up at the ceiling with a weird look on her face.

"Granger, talk to me! Are you okay?" he demanded, dropping to his knees by her side; much to his surprise, Hermione burst out laughing.

"My name...is Hermione...and...I'm...I'm fine!" she wheezed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutched her stomach, shaking with laughter.

"Bloody hell, Granger! Are you really okay! How many fingers am I holding up?" Draco asked, torn between being freaked out, or laughing with her.

"Three, and really...I'm fine!" she laughed, sitting up and running a hand through her hair.

"Then why are you laughing?" the blonde demanded.

"Because, as I fell off the railing...I realized that I trusted you," she grinned loopily, poking him on the nose, just as he had done with his quill earlier that day.

Draco groaned, placing his head in his hands as he let out a deep breath that he didn't know he had been holding. The sight of Hermione falling off of the railing had really scared him, even more than when she had started laughing.

"So, are you going to take your turn?" Hermione asked when Draco lifted his head.

"I trust you," he answered, shooting her a crooked grin as he sat down on the railing.

"Ready?" she asked, readying her wand.

"Go!" he yelled, releasing his grip on the railing.

The feeling of wind rushing by him was exhilarating, and it reminded him of playing Quidditch. Hermione ran beside him, occasionally falling behind, but eventually catching up with him as he flew past landings and down the stairs. As he neared a banister, Hermione slowed him to a stop, then helped him get off the railing.

"That was a lot of fun," he laughed. "Not as fun as Quidditch, of course, but fun anyways."

Hermione laughed, and the two Head students headed back to their dorms with adrenaline pumping through their veins, smiles on their faces, and a new found trust for the other, Draco's cloak discarded to be picked up some other day.

 **Thursday, September 9th, 1999**

"Alright. who here has never taken a salsa or tango lesson before. No need to be shy...I see quite a few of you are new to the salsa and tango world. Well, don't none of ye worry, for I shall teacheth ye to the best of my bestest abilities!"

Jacob then proceeded to divide the room into three sections: one section was for pairs who knew how to dance, one section was for those who couldn't dance at all, and the last section was for pairs who had one partner who could dance.

"Those who can't dance will be with me; those with one partner who can dance will be learning from the partner who can dance; and those with two dancing partner swill be taking one of the sheets I am currently holding and choose a song to dance to. As the oldest students in this school, you guys are being given the opportunity to dance solo with partners...actually never mind what I just said. That was completely nonsensical...an oxymoron. What I'm trying to say is that first to sixth years are partnered up, but will be dancing at the same time, and to a song that I choreographed. You are not. I am giving you students free reign of your own songs and choreography. Moving on, let's split up into our partners, and go to our areas."

A little while after Jacob's big announcement, Draco and Hermione were pouring over the list of available songs, all of which would be covered by Drew and Anne.

" _My Heart Will Go On_ is definitely out," Hermione declared. "I can't imagine dancing to it, especially when it reminds me of one of the sappiest movies in all of Sappy Movie History. I am also ruling out _Tubthumping_ , which sounds like a song that goes at the end of a movie while the goes at the end of a movie while the main characters are at a party or something."

"Alright. I say that we keep _She's Like the Wind,_ " Draco proposed. "I really like that one, but I am eliminating _Libertango._ No matter how much I love Piazzola, I've already danced to it before and would not like to do it again. Especially since my dance partner didn't understand the concept of this-is-my-personal-space-and-I-would-like-to-keep-it-personal and please-stop-eating-garlic-bread-before-dancing-with-me."

"Fascinating partner there. I almost feel bad for you. As for me, I'm removing _Don't You Want Me_ and _Double Life_. I love those songs to death, but they just aren't something I want to dance to."

"So then, what do you think about _Sympathique_ by Pink Martini?" the blonde man returned, pointing to the next song on the list.

"The French one that goes like _je ne veux pas travailler_ , right? Yeah, that one could work."

"Then it's settled; we're going with _Sympathique_ and we are _not_ going to change or minds."

"So, what are you two dancing to?" Blaise and Padma asked. "We plan to dance to _Libertango_."

" _Sympathique_ is ours," Draco replied, circling the said song.

"My Heart Will Go On," Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot announced; Theo and Millicent had opted to do _Piano Man_ ; Anthony Goldstein and Meghan Jones were planning on _Hungry Like the Wolf_ ; and Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones were going to do _Don't You go Breaking My Heart_."

"Poor Anne and Drew," Susan sympathized. "They must have a lot of songs to record."

"Yes, but we have it covered."

The group of dancers turned around to see the tall brunette and second Head Boy.

"In fact, we just finished a research session in the library," Anne announced. "There's actually a spell that creates a pair of headphones and a soundboard. After recording, the music is collected in a box, which is opened whenever the song needs to be played; Drew and I just tried it out."

"It's actually quite neat," Drew admitted.

"Oh, just looked at the two of you...you do seem keen on following in the steps of our dear, bookish Hermione!" Draco teased, elbowing his dance partner in the ribs; she, of course, retaliated with an equally hard elbow.

"Do you two really have everything covered?" Susan asked. "I mean, aren't some of the songs in French or something?"

"No worries," Anne answered. "I can manage it...especially since my maman is French."

"Oh. I didn't know that, but that's good," Susan smiled warmly.

 **Saturday, October 2, 1999**

"But Hermione, this skirt would look so cute on you!" Ginny whined, waving a little black skirt.

Hermione raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I doubt that the skirt will pass the fingertip-long rule, and it really isn't a good example for a Head student to wear something so...short...or tight..."

"Exactly! Where's your sense of danger...I mean excitement?!" Ginny exclaimed, wisps of hair escaping her ponytail as she gave up on the skirt and continued hunting for a better replacement. Finally, she settled on a slightly longer skirt and a blouse.

"Is that all?" the cashier asked politely as she rang up their purchases.

"Well, maybe a few more things wouldn't hurt," Ginny murmured, her eyes drifting around the store.

Hermione sighed, visions of sickles flying out of her purse as her close friend perused the shelves for something else to add to the skirt. For the past hour, Ginny had insisted on dragging her around Hogsmeade on a back-to-school shopping spree, which was most-definitely not how Hermione had envisioned spending her time.

"Let's go in there next," Ginny declared, pointing at another clothing store as Hermione payed for the clothes that Ginny had picked out for her.

"No, Ginny, let's not," the brunette groaned. "I need to check out the new Potions bestseller, _Two Cauldrons in a Pinch_ , and see if they have copies of..."

"Yes, yes, yes, but we don't have all day! Only two more stores, and then you can go to your precious little sewn-together-pieces-of-paper! Now, come on!" Ginny exclaimed, latching onto Hermione's wrist and dragging Hermione towards the store.

Much to Hermione's displeasure, Draco was standing outside the store, a knowing smirk on his face as the redhead dragged his dance partner across the street.

"Hello there, Hermione, Weaslette," he greeted, tipping an imaginary hat before opening the door for them; the bookish brunette shot him a venomous look as Ginny dragged her through.

"Good luck," Draco whispered, winking before closing the door behind her.

Later that day, the blonde was awoken from his nap on the Head Dorms' couch by Hermione's loud screech of, "How could you let that banshee drag me into that store?" as she collapsed, letting the bags on her arms slide off.

"Merlin!" Draco exclaimed as he took in all the damage that had been done to her purse, noticeably more in the clothing department than the books department. "I count a whopping total of three...six...nine...twelve, thirteen, fourteen bags!"

"It's not funny," Hermione sniffed, glaring at the amused man. "I only got fifteen minutes in the bookstore!"

"Will you forgive me if I carry them up to your room?" Draco laughed, picking up two bags in each hand.

Hermione sighed, "I suppose."

 **Saturday, October 9, 1999**

"Hermione! Oi, Hermione! Wait up!" Draco called, running down the hall after the Gryffindor.

"What is it this time?" Hermione asked, turning around as he came screeching to a stop.

"Dance," Draco answered, trying to even out his breathing. "Remember how you had trouble with the _check_? Jacob recommended that we do a little work on that, and maybe do a little more choreography on the song, such as our transitions."

Hermione frowned. "Well, all of my schoolwork is nearly done, so I guess I can spare some time. However, there are some books-"

"Don't worry that not-so-bushy head of yours, Hermione," the blonde chuckled, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Your precious little books will still be here when we're done. Now are you coming, or am I going to have to carry you back to the dorms as you shriek in protest?"

"You wouldn't," Hermione said breezily as she shrugged his arm off.

"Oh? Try me!" Draco smirked before picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder; Hermione, as predicted, began beating her fists on his back and screeching for him to put her down. Draco laughed merrily as nearby students looked at the two eighth years as if they had just grown extra heads. Grinning ear to ear, he set off for the Dorms at a brisk pace, leaving students gaping behind them as he carried Hermione off.

He could hear the whispers that would be circulating through the Great Hall already.

"Draco, this is not funny," Hermione whined, red in the face with embarrassment as she gave up trying to escape.

"But I think it is!" Draco protested as he began climbing the stairs at a terrifyingly fast rate, especially for Hermione, who was scared of heights.

"You think everything is funny," Hermione complained, clutching his shirt as she squeezed her eyes shut in fear.

"I do, Hermione. Haven't you figured that out already? I mean - _We Meet Once Again_ \- you have known me for quite a while now," Draco retorted. The password having been said, the door swung open and Draco carried her through.

Hermione shook her head, but nevertheless, there was a smile on her face.

"My, my, my...you two seem to be getting along well," Ginny chirped happily as she and Harry detached their lips from each other. However, unlike Ginny, Harry was not too pleased to see Draco treating Hermione so familiarly, and shot the blonde a disapproving look.

Within seconds, Draco's joyful expression soured, and he set Hermione down, muttering, "Never mind. The _check_ will be fine. I'm going to go study."

Baffled, Hermione watched as Draco took the stairs to the second floor two-at-a-time, and then loudly closed his door. She quickly glanced over at Ginny and Harry, then fled to her room, painfully and utterly confused.

"Harry! What the hell was that for? They were getting along just fine!" the redhead shrieked, jumping to her feet and glaring down at her boyfriend.

"Exactly! Look, Ginny, Malfoy is using her to get his family back into society's good graces. Hermione doesn't deserve to be used like that - she deserves to be happy," Harry protested, standing up and placing his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders.

"Is that what this is all about?" she asked, stunned.

"Yes."

Ginny shot him a look, then spoke softly, "Harry, have you ever watched Malfoy when he's dancing with Hermione?" When her boyfriend shook his head no, Ginny sighed. "Harry, when those two are dancing, he doesn't smirk, leer, or even glare...he smiles at her. He honestly smiles at her." Ginny took a deep breath. "I have no idea how to explain it, Harry, but every time I watch them dance, I get this feeling that something good is really going to come out of this, so please...please let Malfoy have a chance with Hermione?"

Harry, closed his eyes and thought about all the times that Draco had mistreated Hermione. The times he had called her a Mudblood. The times he had tripped her. The times he and his friends had made fun of her. There were too many to count. He had ridiculed, cruelly teased, and mercilessly bullied her.

But for some reason, when he opened his eyes, he knew what his answer was. "He has one chance, Ginny. I am giving him one chance, and only one chance, to make her happy; if he blows that chance, he will not be getting another one."

The second Head Girl breathed a sigh of a relief, then murmured, "Thank you. Now, although I am sure that they will be back to normal by tomorrow, I want you to go make things right with Malfoy while I go talk to Hermione. No Harry, don't give me that look...Harry! I said-mmpf!"

And with that one kiss, all thoughts of apologies disappeared.

When Ginny entered their room later that night, she found Hermione sorting through all of her purchases.

"Ginny, when on earth do you think I'm going to wear these?" she asked, holding up a thigh-length black skirt and a tight white blouse. Many similar articles of clothing were spread on the floor around her; the younger girl barely held back an evil laugh.

"Maybe when you go out to meet some boy in the middle of the night?" Ginny suggested, waggling her eyebrows suggestively, then ducking when Hermione threw them at her.

"And what are these?" Hermione demanded as she waved around a pair of black high heels that she'd probably never wear.

"Amazingness, of course," Ginny answered with a shrug before flicking her wand at all the bags.

"I never should've taught you that spell. In fact, I never should've agreed to go shopping!" Hermione groused.

"Pish-posh! You'll thank me some day," Ginny retorted, smirking an incredibly Malfoy-esque fashion.

"In your dreams..."

 **Tuesday, October 26, 1999**

"Aww, how lovely!" Jacob announced, clapping as Harry and Ginny finished the first part of their routine. "So much...energy! Let's give them a round of applause! Ten points to Gryffindor! Next up, we are going to be letting...Blaise Zabini and Padma Patil take the floor!"

Two months had passed since Dance classes had started and everyone had made progress with their dance numbers. As the dancers worked on their pieces, Anne and Drew continued to edit and improve their singing. However, they still were working on arranging their duets, so Harry, Ginny, Justin, and Susan were still dancing with original tracks.

"They dance really well, though Parvati hasn't danced before," Hermione whispered into Draco's ear.

"That's probably because Blaise is a good lead, and because he's taken five years of dance lessons," Draco replied, watching the two dance.

And then it was their turn.

"We can do it," Draco whispered to Hermione as they positioned themselves in their starting position and waited for the music to start.

" _Ma chambre a la forme d'une cage / Le soleil passe son bras par la fenêtre / Les chasseurs à ma porte / Comme les p'tits soldats / Qui veulent me prendre,_ " the recording of Anne singing played as Draco and Hermione began dancing slowly.

However, everything changed when the next little part came on - the upbeat part. The two immediately transitioned into more complex steps and spins. The passion and energy that flowed between them spoke so much of how their rivalry had transitioned to friendship, and the expressions that they wore on their faces clearly showed how much they enjoyed dancing with the other.

With the upbeat song and lyrics, their performance was beautiful, and everyone was disappointed when they stopped and announced that they had only choreographed so much. Jacob immediately jumped to his feet and applauded them; he was quickly followed by many of the other students, and the two flushed under all the praise they received.

"You two look like you've been dancing together for all of your lives," Jacob announced when the clapping finally died down. "I think that you should enter a competition! There is a rather well-known competition called _Reina de Corazones_ that I think would be just perfect for the two of you! It's being held on May 10, 2000, so you two would have plenty of time to prepare for it."

"I don't know about you, but it's been a few years since I've competed. I think it would be rather fun, don't you think?" Draco asked, bumping Hermione in the side.

"But we've only _just_ started dancing together!" Hermione protested.

Ginny, always scheming and matchmaking, immediately started taunting the brunette. "Where's your adventurous Gryffindor Spirit? Don't tell me that a Slytherin is braver than you are! Besides, it's not like you haven't competed before! You told me that-"

"Alright, alright," Hermione sighed. "I agree, but only as long as the two of us are accompanied by other people from Hogwarts. The other condition I have is that we finish choreographing _Sympathique_ and perform it before we even _start_ filling out any paperwork."

"Then it is settled," Draco nodded, holding out his hand.

"Yes! You guys are going to a competition!" Ginny squealed, jumping up and down as they shook hands.

"Weaslette, is it me, or are you more excited than Hermione and Draco are?" Pansy asked, sending the energetic redhead a look, before gasping for air as Ginny gave her a bone-crushing hug, shrieking, "I can't wait!"

Thankfully, Pansy was saved from the terrible fate of suffocation-via-Ginny-Weasley when Jacob looked at the clock, then exclaimed, "I do believe that we are out of time! Please, hurry! I don't want any of you to be late! Out, out, out! Shoo!"


End file.
